pbjelly

Posted 20 October 2011 - 04:22 PM

My build is dedicated to that greatest of men, a giant of industry and master of the arts, the magnificent Bob Ross.

I will be attempting to build and maintain my pico by following the rules as expressed by Bob, in his groundbreaking television series, "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross". The fact that the medium is different ( oil paint on canvas vs. salt water in a box) is a little bit worrisome, but I'm sure with hard work, dedication, and repeatedly watching Bob Ross re-runs, I can make it work.

Current FTS 4.30.12

__(This thread has no connection whatsoever with the original and fabulous Bob Ross, any other not so fabulous Bob Ross, the nanoreef.com user named bobross who may still be a member but has apparently not posted since 2008, or to Ezsharkman who is obviously a person of great integrity and good taste, so if you are bobross and have an issue with me using your user name, just remember we both stole it - so there.)

ApiratenamedJohn

Posted 20 October 2011 - 04:38 PM

My build is dedicated to that greatest of men, a giant of industry and master of the arts, the magnificent Bob Ross.

I will be attempting build and maintain my pico by following the rules as expressed by Bob, in his groundbreaking television series, "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross". The fact that the medium is different ( oil paint on canvas vs. salt water in a box) is a little bit worrisome, but I'm sure with hard work, dedication, and repeatedly watching Bob Ross re-runs, I can make it work.

Current FTS to come

(This thread has no connection whatsoever with the original and fabulous Bob Ross, any other not so fabulous Bob Ross, the nanoreef.com user named bobross who may still be a member but has apparently not posted since 2008, or to Ezsharkman who is obviously a person of great integrity and good taste, so if you are bobross and have an issue with me using your user name, just remember we both stole it - so there.)

For today's lesson I needed Pthalo Blue for the sky. I called around to my LHS, but all they had was Black and 'Blue Hyacinth'. I thought that was probably a mistake - Bob never used Blue Hyacinth.I then pondered Bob's famous 'Black Gesso' technique, but I rejected this as being from the later Bob era and not true to my chosen 'Bob aesthetic'.

Finally, I tracked down a can of Krylon Fusion Patriotic Blue and decided to test out my short stroke sky technique.

I sort of F'd this up. I think I did OK on the coverage, but I pretty much failed on the leaving some holes...Oh well, as Bob always says - there's only Happy Accidents. First, I think I need some Happy Water.

For today's lesson I needed Pthalo Blue for the sky. I called around to my LHS, but all they had was Black and 'Blue Hyacinth'. I thought that was probably a mistake - Bob never used Blue Hyacinth.I then pondered Bob's famous 'Black Gesso' technique, but I rejected this as being from the later Bob era and not true to my chosen 'Bob aesthetic'.

Finally, I tracked down a can of Krylon Fusion Patriotic Blue and decided to test out my short stroke sky technique.

I sort of F'd this up. I think I did OK on the coverage, but I pretty much failed on the leaving some holes...Oh well, as Bob always says - there's only Happy Accidents. First, I think I need some Happy Water.

The gospel according to Bob - Happy Picoing and Bob Bless

Okay, just paint us some pictures. Sure looks like a good start to a happy lil' pico. Updates please.

pbjelly

Posted 22 October 2011 - 03:04 PM

Thanks Mike! I wish I could say that I searched for the perfect one - but I really did just try to match the color Bob uses for all of his skies. Must be the artist in you...

I've been checking out the pico kits on your site and they are making me drool - I love the selection you've put together. I'm psyched about this contest, but I do have a hankering for one of those three gallon glass picos...

mikeguerrero

Posted 22 October 2011 - 08:49 PM

Thanks Mike! I wish I could say that I searched for the perfect one - but I really did just try to match the color Bob uses for all of his skies. Must be the artist in you...

I've been checking out the pico kits on your site and they are making me drool - I love the selection you've put together. I'm psyched about this contest, but I do have a hankering for one of those three gallon glass picos...

I call quality like I see it, and when I saw your blue I had to comment on how nice it drew my attention... I'm a neat freak when it comes to constructing any marine reef tank and pico's are a challenge.

I treat each aquascape as a painting and it becomes an original masterpiece... No wo are the same...

The 3 gallon glass tank is sweet, because it's only $15.99 and you can paint it and have it as a backup... I put that one on sale as soon as Wally world came out with this awesome deal...

It's going to be a very awesome 2012 when these Walmart picos's start screaming into the new year.... I'm excited...

The key to Bob's 'Wet on Wet' Technique is to begin with a thin layer of Liquid White spread evenly across the canvas.

I've approximated this with some leftover Carib-Sea Aragonite Sand. It's been sitting in a rolled up plastic bag for a while so I thought I'd better give it a rinse.I wasn't really getting the 'blending effect' that Bob speaks of until I realized my mistake. Wet on Wet - DUH. So I added water.

And the biggest honkin' ugly ass heater I've ever seen. I'm waiting on a 25watt that I ordered, but I can tell already that this heater issue is going to bug the crap out of me. Especially against that Pthalo Patroit Blue sky.

Woogalie

Posted 26 October 2011 - 03:43 PM

chippwalters

Posted 26 October 2011 - 04:54 PM

chippwalters

Nano Reefer

Members

380 posts

Joined 29 Aug 2011

Dripping Springs, TX

And the biggest honkin' ugly ass heater I've ever seen. I'm waiting on a 25watt that I ordered, but I can tell already that this heater issue is going to bug the crap out of me. Especially against that Pthalo Patroit Blue sky.

I've got to ask myself, what would Bob do?

The gospel according to Bob - Happy Picoing and Bob Bless

I had that one, but now have THIS one. The temperature controller is MUCH better, even though there's no thermostadt-- plus it's smaller and nicer looking.

pbjelly

Posted 26 October 2011 - 06:34 PM

I had that one, but now have THIS one. The temperature controller is MUCH better, even though there's no thermostadt-- plus it's smaller and nicer looking.

That one is much nicer.I wonder if it can keep up with the temperature swings in my apartment. My building gets quite cold at night, and nice toasty warm during the day. I've been shying away from fixed temp heaters, but a lot of people have been recommending them.I'll see how egregious the 25watt is when it arrives. I'm already regretting it a bit seeing how sleek the fluval is.

Posted 28 October 2011 - 01:54 PM

As we all know, Bob loves mountains. Almost every single Bob painting has a mountain, so my pico needs one too.

When Bob makes a mountain he takes out the trusty knife and rubs a roll of paint along creating the top edge, then he SCRAAAPES off the excess and using a highlight color, he creates the angles of the faces.

So I thought about it - just like Bob, I needed to make the top of the mountain and screw the bottom - Bob never paints the bottom of the mountain anyway - they all seem to end in 'misty foothills'.

I searched high and low - and finally lower, down into the depths of my LFS' basement sump room (don't trip and don't sue), where I found this:

A montipora shard maybe?The other 'hill' is some other kind of coral skeleton. I like it, but it's too big for the painting tank I think.

You know what's missing from this picture? Nope, not the water.The big, honkin' ass heater, that's what.I took it out to heat up a batch of water for a water change (other heater is still not here) and I hate it so much that I not so subconsciously 'forgot' to put it back in.